Reassuring Your Employees During the Pandemic

Help your employees thrive during challenging times with a financial wellness program that includes privacy and identity theft protection

Do you remember Bob Cratchit? Ebenezer Scrooge’s underpaid clerk, who endured poor working conditions, long hours, with only a candle to warm himself on a cold winter’s day? Disease and financial worries formed the backdrop 178 years ago. Except then, it was cholera.

Fast forward to the present and COVID-19. Without a doubt, the global pandemic has affected everyone. leaders of organizations had to step up to support and reassure their employees more than ever. It’s about helping employees “not just survive but thrive during challenging times,” advocates Dr. Nadine Kaslow, professor and vice chair, Emory University School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and chief psychologist with Grady Health System.

With increased stress these days and concerns over safety and financial wellness, the last thing employees need to worry about is identity theft and privacy threats, especially when cyberattacks are at an all-time high. This is where your organization can offer reassurance and alleviate stress, by simply augmenting your employee benefits offering with identity theft and digital privacy protection.

“If people are struggling emotionally during this time, it is understandable,” Kaslow reassures in a Psychology Today article, Flattening the Emotional Distress Curve of COVID-19. Employers looking for tips to help their employees as we transition to the end of the year — with additional stresses of the holidays mounting — Kaslow points to Caring Communities Wellness Guides.

Keeping Employees Happy

Employers in 2020 have come a long way since the days of A Christmas Carol. We know that happy employees are better employees. Employees want to be reassured they have the support they need to thrive in the workplace. What else makes for a happy employee? According to TTI Success Insights, employees rank these as the most important:

• Competitive compensation
• Recognition for achievements and hard work
• A sense of purpose
• Trusted leadership
• A comprehensive benefits program

Employees Prioritizing Financial Wellness

Employee financial stress has doubled since COVID-19 began, according to a recent survey from John Hancock Retirement. An Insurance News Net article reported on this recent survey that “the pressure and uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis has caused workers to prioritize financial wellness.” Lynda Abend, chief data officer with John Hancock Retirement confirms, "This year has delivered many challenges and both employers and employees have been asked to reimagine how they work. Employers are uniquely positioned to provide relief in many forms, including alleviating financial stress for their employees by revisiting the benefits playbook. Employees are looking for advice and guidance, which employers can provide through a holistic financial wellness offering."

When it comes to safety and financial wellness, employers can have a direct impact on their employees. What about offering your employees complete protection from privacy threats and identity theft? IDX Employee Benefits is the first complete identity and privacy protection benefit that safeguards your employees from the latest threats.

Especially at a time when a perfect storm is brewing: more online shopping = more scams. This holiday season could see the number of cyberattacks growing. "It is not hard to see why the crisis might provide fertile ground for fraud. The combination of financial and health threats makes people more vulnerable and creates opportunities for fraudsters," states a Deloitte article. For the latest shopping scams, visit the Better Business Bureau.

As financial worries weigh heavily on your employees, combined with the emotional stresses of COVID-19, the best gift is showing that your organization supports and cares. Incorporating privacy and identity protection with your organization’s financial wellness program is not only valuable, but it is reassuring. Couldn’t we all use more reassurance in 2021?